North Carolina uses a body-part schedule: two-thirds of your average weekly wage (capped at $1,446 in 2026) times the scheduled weeks, scaled by your rating.
North Carolina's schedule per G.S. §97-31, paid at two-thirds of wages capped at $1,446/week (2026).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Weekly maximum (2026) | $1,446 |
| Weekly maximum (2025) | $1,380 |
| Schedule (weeks) | Arm 240 · Hand 200 · Leg 200 · Foot 144 · Eye 120 · Back 300 |
| Attorney fees | Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary) |
A comp settlement trades future benefits for a lump sum. Three checks first: does the settlement close your future medical rights (a fair-looking number can be terrible if it does)? Is your impairment rating solid, given that insurer doctors rate low and you can usually challenge with an independent exam? And was anyone besides your employer involved, because a third-party claim pays pain and suffering that comp never does.
North Carolina uses a body-part schedule: two-thirds of your average weekly wage (capped at $1,446 in 2026) times the scheduled weeks, scaled by your rating. Settlements then negotiate around that formula number, down for present-value and disputed ratings, up when the insurer wants to close future medical exposure.
Weekly maximum (2026): $1,446 · Weekly maximum (2025): $1,380 · Schedule (weeks): Arm 240 · Hand 200 · Leg 200 · Foot 144 · Eye 120 · Back 300 · Attorney fees: Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary)
Not your employer, in most cases, because comp is the exclusive remedy. But if anyone else contributed to the injury (a negligent driver, a defective machine's manufacturer, a subcontractor), a third-party claim can pay full damages including pain and suffering, alongside the comp claim. That's the most commonly missed money in work-injury cases.
Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary)
The multiplier method with North Carolina's fault rule and deadlines applied.
Open →The generic scheduled-award formula with the federal reference schedule.
Open →Comp vs. third-party claims, and where the missed money usually is.
Open →